How often do you clean your bottles?

[h22lude]

When I get bottles from a friend, I let them soak in Oxiclean (1oz per 5 gallons) over night. I then take the label off and use a bottle brush to clean the inside. I then let those clean bottles soak in a bucket of just water for a few hours. I then rinse those bottles quickly and let them dry on my drying rack.

I'm bottling tomorrow so I plan on just leaving my drying bottles on the drying rack until I'm ready to sanitize and then bottle.

I guess I have a few questions. After using the bottles, I give them a rinse with water to get all the yeast out of the bottle. Do you guys clean those bottles again with Oxiclean before bottling your next batch or do you rinse them well after using and let them dry until next bottling?

If I cleaned my bottles today, how long will they stay clean for and how should I store them? If I store them in a 12 pack box upside down, will they stay clean until I am ready to use them again? Should I just clean them every time I bottle? Wrap each bottle top with aluminium foil inside of upside down?

 

[Jota21]

oxyclean for taking the labels off, then I think most people just rinse after pouring out the beer, and keeping them relatively clean (no dust) until they're ready to bottle the next batch. Then quickly dunk in sanitizer and fill.

 

[Hammy71]

I wash mine everytime. I have a bucket in the basement I keep used bottles I've rinsed out. About once a month or when it gets full I wash them by soaking in Oxyclean and using a bottle brush. I then dry on a tree, package them in cases and place in a trashbag til needed. When needed, I rinse and sanitize and use. I dunno, to me rinsing isn't cleaning. To each his own.....

 

[h22lude]

Yeah I think I am going to clean them every time I use them. It is just a pain sometimes to use that bottle brush lol but to make sure the bottles are clean, it is worth it.

I would like to get a supply of bottles so I am to have at least 48 clean bottles at all time so I can easily bottle my next batch.

 

[VegasBrew]

Used bottles from a friend I soak in oxyclean overnight, bottle brush then boil em (i have an 80 qt pot) or dishwasher, box em up, bottling day dishwasher cycle, starsan em and dry on bottle tree.

My bottles I rinse when I drink em and box em. Bottling day dishwasher cycle, starsan and bottle tree to dry.

Gonna add the plastic bag, great idea Hammy!!

VB

 

[Boodlemania]

I follow pretty much the same procedure as above: rinse right after pour, store upside down. However, some of my bottles get a film on the inside, especially if it's been sitting full for several months. Rinsing with hot water and a quick once-over with the bottle brush takes care of that though.

 

[Rivenin]

I follow pretty much the same procedure as above: rinse right after pour, store upside down. However, some of my bottles get a film on the inside, especially if it's been sitting full for several months. Rinsing with hot water and a quick once-over with the bottle brush takes care of that though.

thats what i usually do, i just soak mine is sanitizer for awhile, and spritz them about 30 minutes prior to bottling

 

[Snowhere]

Way to much work to hand clean each bottle each time in my book. If they were clean enough to keep my beer safe, they should be clean with me flushing them out immediatly after each use. Then they get sanitized right before I use them again and put on the drying rack, then bottled. In 18 years of brewing, I have never had a problem doing it this way. The key is to rinse them out after each use and allowed to dry before going back into the case box.

My only disclaimer is I live in a very dry climate so there is no way anything is going to get wet again and have something grow in the bottle inbetween uses.